Spotify's revamped podcasts will include more photos and video

At launch, Spotlight will sport content from BuzzFeed News, Cheddar, Crooked Media, Gimlet Media and Refinery29 among others. Some of Spotify's original series such as RISE, Spotify Singles and Viva Latino will also create content for Spotlight. Spotify says more series will launch next month.

Spotify has not really found a direction when it comes to video. The streaming service developed a handful of original video series including Traffic Jams and Landmark not that long ago, but Spotify decided to cancel many of those shows last October as part of a shift in video strategy. Those shows never really picked up much traction anyway. But the platform has played with other types of video. Earlier this month, in what appeared to be a test, a video loop was paired with a Superorganism song instead of the typical static image and Spotify began including video in playlists like RapCaviar last year. Spotify started to really push its podcast offerings last year as well, adding its own original content and giving podcasts their own dedicated browse tab. Bringing video to podcasts appears to be the next iteration of that push.

Direct Purchases should indeed make it easier to acquire the content users are watching -- just click on the stream and a window will pop up to buy the matching game or DLC, no switching to a separate storefront necessary.
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Ford is updating its Sync infotainment software with a few new navigation options. Sygic is a name we have not heard in quite awhile, but the GPS company will bring its voice assistant to certain Ford vehicles.
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